Vijay Patil, who owns the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, has promised to bear the cost of hosting the second practice game (November 3-5) involving England. Patil, also a Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) vice-president, is thankful to the managing committee which approved that the match be moved out of Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).
According to MCA president Ravi Savant, hosting a three-day match at the BKC could have cost the association Rs 25-30 lakh. “The DY Patil Stadium will take care of everything,” Savant told DNA on Sunday. “We have informed the BCCI of our managing committee’s decision. I expect (board president) Mr N Srinivasan to give us the green signal. Mr Vijay Patil has agreed to bear the cost. Also, the Cricket Club of India has agreed to bear the cost of hosting the first practice match (Oct 30-Nov 1),” Savant added.
Patil was thrilled. “The fact that Navi Mumbai will host a match means a lot,” he said. “We will make all the arrangements. The BCCI will foot the hotel bills, but we will help them with the bookings. We have identified a few five-star hotels in the vicinity. Everything else — food, logistics, security, et al — will be taken care of,” Patil added. The stadium is an ICC-approved venue. It has hosted two IPL finals and an India-Australia ODI which was washed out. “A cricket match involving an international side should be held at a stadium. I am sure people will turn up in numbers,” Patil said. So will the public have to pay? “Mostly free, or very nominal rates,” Patil said.
